Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua ($45) is a much raved about foundation. Eager to give it a test run, I visited the Chanel counter while I was in Chicago last month. After speaking with the makeup artist about my foundation preferences and the condition of my skin, she gave me two samples of the shade Beige Rose 30 (Sable). This shade is cool toned, as it has pink undertones.

You can really see the difference in undertones compared to some of the foundations I usually wear. Still, this was a good match for me and I thought it blended into my skin nicely. It is amazing how colors blend in and match despite looking so different.

The texture of this foundation is very fluid with a touch of almost mousse-like consistency. It is very, very soft. It feels as luxurious as the name Chanel implies! It is on the watery side, but not as watery as MAC Face and Body. The finish is luminous. I wouldn’t call it dewy, but it is highlighting. It makes my skin brighter, which I liked, and it certainly isn’t heavy on my skin.

Those who are looking for full coverage will want to skip this foundation, as it is very sheer. This is my preference, so I was really happy with the finish. While I still used under eye concealer, I did not apply concealer anywhere else on my face. I applied the foundation with a MAC 187SE brush, and it blended so easily! It was probably the most effortless time I’ve ever had blending a foundation!

The staying power of this foundation is decent. I get around eight hours of strong wear from it, then it starts to break down a bit, which I’m fine with since I’ve read many reviews with a lot less staying power (naturally, I set it with my beloved Maybelline Dream Matte powder!). It doesn’t oxidize on my skin, and it doesn’t crease. It reminds me of a more lightweight version of Urban Decay Naked Skin. I would definitely purchase a full size bottle of this foundation!

One con of Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua is that there ten shades, and they don’t run very dark. The repurchase rate on MakeupAlley is 68% with a 3.9 lippie rating and 617 reviews, which is favorable, but almost dipping the average mark.